The kind I plant is called Cypress vine...it is spectacular, the hummers love it. I plant it in front of the bathhouse at the campground and all the canoers can't get over it. Everyone wants seeds.

Another easy vine to grow that the hummers love is Scarlett Runner Beans (which I grow strictly as an ornamental). There is also a torenia that vines (does really well in hanging baskets) and the hummers love it.

The butterflies love my passiforas, and the Gulf Fritillarys caterpillars take over my Incense Passie in late summer. I don't mind the caterpillars (which don't bother my other varieties) and I enjoy finding all the new cocoons all over the yard!

These aren't vines, but the hummers love petunias and any kind of salvia. And the butterflies love zinnias, coneflowers, lantana and cosmos.

Thanks to both of you. I will try to find some of all of these.

Betty

Perennial vines that hummers love are coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens -- there are cultivars available such as Alabama Crimson, Blanche Sandman, Cedar Lane, etc), Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata -- commonly available cultivars are Tangerine Beauty, Jekyll and Shalimar Red), and the rampant growing Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans -- cvs are available). Make sure you have ample room for that last species. It grows like it wants to take over the world. But hummers just love those red-orange flowers in late summer.

A close relative of the cypress vine that Jan suggested is cardinal vine. Both are annual members of the morning glory family. Mine come back every year from seed the plant drops the year before -- I don't have to sow it.

And like tnshadylady said, ANY salvia is a hummer magnet. Other non-vine hummer plants are wild columbine, which is one of their first food sources when they return in spring, along with red buckeye (Aesculus pavia, a largish shrub). They also love indian pink (Spigelia marilandica), which is a dynamite and showy garden plant.

I get huge numbers of butterflies, particularly swallowtails, on my phlox (Phlox paniculata cultivars like 'David', 'Robert Poore' and 'Delta Snow'). Also Joe Pye Weed -- I grow one called 'Gateway' that gets about 5 ft tall and is covered up by butterflies when it blooms. The other plant that seems particularly beloved of butterflies in my garden is purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, varieties 'Magnus' and 'Rubinstern' are widely available). And, of course, any member of the milkweed family, including the aptly named Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). They all serve as nectar plants for many species and host plants for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars, which need all the help they can get these days, what with the destruction of their wintering ground in Mexico and the genetically engineered corn pollen killing them wholesale in this country.

Marty

Very good info Marty. Betty, hummers are attracted to many plants initially, and others actually keep them coming back. If I were to recommend one single plant, it would be Salvia guaranitica. It is marginally hardy for you but can overwinter in most places in winters like we've had the past several years. You can also easily overwinter the roots indoors for the following year too. The birds always go to this plant before all others in my experience and almost always choose it above the feeders. They generally only go elsewhere once they've visited each bloom of this plant first. Other popular salvias like S. coccinea work well, but many of the hybrids and cultivars are poor in nectar (particularly for example the popular S. splendens cultivars). They will still visit them but will get less reward for their efforts.

Also, Marty mentioned the milkweed family as a host plant for monarchs. Growing the host plants for caterpillars is one of the best things you can do to increase butterfly numbers in your garden over the long term. It's not always the easiest thing (for example, some need citrus plants etc. that are not hardy outdoors) but it is worthwhile if you love seeing your garden alive with these wonderful creatures. I could sit around and watch them all day long, day after day... hmm, time to find a way to become independently wealthy i guess. :-)

Thanks for all the information. I purchased 2 columbine yesterday. I havn't found any vines yet. I will be sure to plant Joe Pye, milkweed and salvia. I relocated here from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina so gardening in zone 6 is new for me.

Thanks again
Betty

I was so impressed by all the cultivars and wonderful characteristics of Bignonia capreolata (cross vine), that Marty was talking about above, that I did a little looking to see where they can be found. Some of the better sources I could find (due to price, selection, etc.) are:

* Sunlight Gardens (about 20 miles from Knoxville) - http://www.sunlightgardens.com/index.html

* TyTy Nursery - http://www.tytyga.com/

* Logee's - http://www.logees.com/default.asp

* Fantastic Plants (mail order in West TN) - http://fantasticplants.com/

Does anyone know of sources of other varieties besides 'Tangerine Beauty', var. atrosanguinea, and 'Jekyll'?

Brandon, I saw some beautiful cross vines at Popes Greenhouse in Maryville last weekend. I believe they were Tangerine Beauty.

And by the way, TyTy has a terrible reputation for sending bad plants.

I noticed TyTy is not listed on Gardenwatchdog. Were they so bad that they made Dave remove them so their reputation wouldn't be further hurt?

I just got back from Johnson's in Cookeville. I bought a very nice gallon size Cross vine 'Tangerine Beauty' for 12.00. I also got a nice Buddleia davidil 'Attraction' for 10.00. I asked for Joe Pye but they laughed at me. They said it grows wild here why would you want to buy it? This was my first time there. I found it on accident but I sure will go back. It was one of the nicest garden centers I have every been to.

Betty

Brandon, TyTy threatened legal action action and so, their ratings were removed from the GardenWatchDog. BUT, if anyone is in doubt, they do have numerous unresolved complaints filed against them at the Better Business Bureau.

Betty, I forgot about Buddleia's being a great butterfly magnet! It looks like you picked up some good plants to get you started on your new garden.

One thing about Sunlight Garden (which is just north of Knoxville) is that they specialize in plants that are well suited for our area.

do any of the southern middle tennessee nurseries sell the
Buddleia davidil or cross vines? C Smith

Chuck Johnson's nursury and Garden Center in Cookeville has both Cross vine and Buddleia davidil

Betty

Hyacinth bean vine is a HUGE attractor in our yard. The hummers come and stay and love it

Hummers love my coral honeysuckle. And if you want a host plant for Swallowtail butterflies, try Florence Fennel. I grew five plants last year and each of them had at least two caterpillars on it at all times. I'm trying some different types of Fennel this year to see if I can coax them over there. I'd like to eat at least one bulb of Florence Fennel this year! :-)